56 Chapter 56 Second Trip To The Island (2/2)
”What do you mean you guess? You must say things like that to all the pretty girls.”
”Oh, no! I've never told that to anyone else before.”
”Really?” Even her scrunched-up nose was cute.
”Well, I've seen lots of cute and beautiful women before, but none like you. You're the only person I've ever wanted to get to know better. I've seen girls that I thought were pretty, but I've never wanted to spend my entire life with them before. It's like I've been waiting just for you.”
She smirked, which looked awesome on top of the blush.
”Well, I am awesome enough for you to wait for me. You must have fallen for me by now then?” Her voice trailed off, but he could still hear it.
”No, I don't think so.”
She stepped back, fl.u.s.tered.
”What??”
”I've seen someone in love before. I worked in a nursing home, for some extra money one summer, when I was on college. They needed some cabinets redone, but didn't have a lot of money, and I was cheap. There was an old couple there. The wife lost her memory and would go weeks without knowing anyone or anything. Every day her husband would come and sit with her. Sometimes he would show her pictures of their kids, or their wedding. For just a few minutes one day, she turned to look at him and touched his face.
”I still love you, she had said. They both cried quietly for a moment, until she was gone again.
”I don't think you can love someone like that without spending time with them. So, I'd say I don't love you, yet. But I would like to love you that much someday.”
Her face changed. It didn't go soft or mushy, instead it became a perfect poker face. Joseph couldn't tell what she was thinking at all.
”I'm sorry. You need to leave the island. And this time, you won't be able to find your way back. It's for the good of both of us, I believe.” Her voice was soft, almost kind and her eyes glowed a beautiful red, like rubies.
Then Joseph woke up.
(YOU HAVE GAINED THE SKILL CARPENTRY. ALL MEMORIES OF PREVIOUS LIVES: JOSEPH STONE AND JOSEPH SMITH, HAVE BEEN ABSORBED.)
(ON A SIDE NOTE, I WAS EXPECTING YOU TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY OLDER BEFORE YOU COULD DO THAT.)
Stella sat up in her bed, and they looked at each other across the carriage in the dim light. Apparently, she was having a dream, too, because she still looked sleepy. He thought about the end of his dream.
”I want to love you that much someday,” he mumbled, before laying back and going back to sleep.
x.x.xxX
Stella stared at him, he was already back asleep. Had he even been fully awake? Her heart was pounding and she was most definitely not going back to sleep. Rolling out of bed, she silently dressed and slipped out of the carriage. The entire camp was silent. Only a few guards were out and about. She climbed to the top of their carriage and stared at the night sky.
Stars twinkled at her, laughing at the emotions that rolled through her. She remembered that moment. She had felt her whole life come cras.h.i.+ng down around her when he had uttered those words.
”You will fall in love with the one who you have hurt the most.” She uttered the words that had been spoken to her so long ago. Part of a curse she had eventually escaped from, or so she had thought.
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